The cytoskeleton of animal cells is one of the most complicated and functionally versatile
structures, involved in processes such as endocytosis, cell division, intra-cellular transport …

Highlights•Physical cues from the tumor microenvironment strongly affect cancer cell
behavior.•Novel techniques increasingly help to capture those cues in vitro.•Mechanisms for …

Cells alter their mechanical properties in response to their local microenvironment; this plays
a role in determining cell function and can even influence stem cell fate. Here, we identify a …

The cytoskeleton plays an integral role in maintaining the integrity of epithelial cells.
Epithelial cells primarily employ cytokeratin in their cytoskeleton, whereas mesenchymal …

Injury to the central nervous system (CNS) alters the molecular and cellular composition of
neural tissue and leads to glial scarring, which inhibits the regrowth of damaged axons …

Twist is a critical epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)–inducing transcription factor that
increases expression of vimentin. How Twist1 regulates this expression remains unclear …

Vimentin is a protein that has been linked to a large variety of pathophysiological conditions,
including cataracts, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV and cancer. Vimentin has also …

Molecular motors in cells typically produce highly directed motion; however, the aggregate,
incoherent effect of all active processes also creates randomly fluctuating forces, which drive …

Solid tumours are often first diagnosed by palpation, suggesting that the tumour is more rigid
than its surrounding environment. Paradoxically, individual cancer cells appear to be softer …

The nuclear lamina is a fundamental constituent of metazoan nuclei. It is composed mainly
of lamins, which are intermediate filament proteins that assemble into a filamentous …